


Conversation: John Keller and Optimus Prime

by dragonofdispair



Series: Roads [6]
Category: Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-05-01
Updated: 2008-05-01
Packaged: 2018-02-26 16:28:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 792
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2658644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonofdispair/pseuds/dragonofdispair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Humans have opinions too</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversation: John Keller and Optimus Prime

There were days John Keller could really come to hate that his job now included giant alien robots, he mused while going over the latest reports concerning the rogue Decepticons. Thank God the Autobots were pretty self-sufficient; very little of what they needed couldn't be dealt with by the local liaisons. Well, honestly, the Decepticons were self-sufficient too, but the two still on Earth were in hiding and all Keller needed to do about them was authorize the things being don to track them down.

And read the reports. They were having intermittent success with Barricade. Scorponok had not been seen at all.

His cellphone rang.

He rubbed his eyes as he pulled it out to answer it. This phone was only used for emergencies or by his wife -- though if you asked her, any time she called him it was an emergency. Right now he couldn't decide which he wanted to deal with less.

"Keller."

"Defense Secretary Keller. This is Optimus Prime."

Right then he decided he'd have preferred it if the call was from his wife.

"What can I do for you, Optimus Prime?"

"Scorponok has been located."

As far as he knew, all the Autobots were Stateside, so the only way they could have located Scorponok was, "He made it to the U.S.?"

"Yes."

"I can have the Air Force there to assist in less than an hour." Where ever they were.

"That would be unnecessary. We do not require assistance."

"Fine." there were so many ways 'do not require assistance' could be interpreted. And he wasn't sure he wanted to know just yet. He'd ask Prime eventually, but he wanted a moment first. "How did he get here?"

Prime hesitated. Obviously he'd been expecting a different question. It seemed giant alien robots could be taken by surprise too. "Scorponok is a resourceful planetary scout."

"I didn't think any of you could swim across oceans."

"And Scorponok cannot. But he could have stowed away on the outer hull of any ship traversing the oceans. Or traveled across the ice that connects the continents in the Arctic Circle."

"Wouldn't he have frozen if he'd gone across the ice cap? Megatron..." Keller trailed off. He wasn't sure he wanted to mention Prime's soldier that had been captured by Sector 7.

"There are ways of running our systems so they are not affected by the cold. Megatron was careless and Bumblebee was caught unaware. If that was his route, Scorponok would not have been either."

"Alright." He could accept that. And he'd be sure to pass that tidbit about cold not being guaranteed effective weapon to the anti-Decepticon units of the military. "Where is he now?"

"We are en route to Tranquility to meet with Bumblebee and Captain Lennox's team. Ratchet, Ironhide and Captain Lennox are also present."

"You captured him."

"Scorponok has surrendered and defected."

Keller was floored. He almost had to literally pick his jaw up off the floor. The initial description the Autobots had given of the metal scorpion had led him to believe he was incapable of either. "Excuse me."

"Scorponok came to us, allowed us to deactivated his weapons and voluntarily deactivated his force fields for a medical scan. Right now his only condition is that I, personally, protect him. He is sincere."

Something unidentifiable about Prime's tone made the hair on the back of Keller's neck stand up. He didn't dare ask how Prime knew Scorponok's sincerity. Or what Prime would do if Scorponok was attacked now. He hadn't retaliated when Sector 7 had captured Bumblebee, but he might now that an attack could be considered an knowing act of hostility rather than a mistake. "I'll call off the search for Scorponok."

"Thank you."

"Just...has he offered anything in return for your protection? Information?"

There was a long pause as Prime seemed to consider how to answer. Then finally, "Scorponok has offered more than I am willing to accept from him." Keller almost interrupted to ask what that meant, but didn't. He didn't think the Autobot would elaborate. "He is no longer an enemy -- that is enough. Undoubtedly he would give us any information we asked for, but is unable to communicate normally. Captain Lennox established a system by which which he could answer yes or no questions, but that format is unsuitable for relaying complex information."

"I see," he didn't really, but didn't think much clarification would be forthcoming. He made a note to send a list of questions for Captain Lennox and his team to include the answers to in their reports. "Keep me informed."

"Of course, Mister Secretary. Good day."

"Good day, Optimus Prime."

There were days John Keller could really hate that his job now included giant alien robots.

 

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